Do you like the NHL being 4th in the 'Big 4' or do you wish it was more popular?

[Dirty Dan]

people would rather watch MLS , yes MLS in certain cities. hockey just is not fit for the woke era

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

I would like a bit more popularity but I don't want them to sacrifice long-term growth by doing dumb things like getting rid of parity and enabling super teams.

They need to market their stars better, though. Game management needs to f*** off, and they need to call the game the same regardless of which player an infraction is being committed on.

 

[HabsDood]

Money f***ed my NHL, NHL is what money made it. We should have a team in Hartford and Qc. Money isn't everything, plus this NHL sucks and won't get any better, it tried, it's anything.

My reply to the topic

 

[bov]

I think hockey is the most difficult of the big 4 to keep up with on TV to the "untrained" eye. There are definitely other cultural and economic factors, but I think the average person with no hockey knowledge has a harder time keeping up with the play on screen. There are so many moving parts that it requires a bit of anticipation and familiarity with the game to really get into it when watching live compared to other sports imo.

 

[zetajerk]

Money ****ed my NHL, NHL is what money made it. We should have a team in Hartford and Qc. Money isn't everything, plus this NHL sucks and won't get any better, it tried, it's anything.

My reply to the topic

You do realize that the Whalers and Nordiques were there to make money too, right? As were all the teams that existed before and after them. Money didn't suddenly become important in the 90s.

 

[HisIceness]

I think hockey is the most difficult of the big 4 to keep up with on TV to the "untrained" eye. There are definitely other cultural and economic factors, but I think the average person with no hockey knowledge has a harder time keeping up with the play on screen. There are so many moving parts that it requires a bit of anticipation and familiarity with the game to really get into it when watching live compared to other sports imo.

This is true. I and probably many of you can watch the sport on TV with no problems but I know thats not the case for everyone, and when I first got into the sport it wasn't easy at first. It's definitely something that needs to be seen in person to appreciate.

 

[zetajerk]

I hope hockey continues to grow and shit on the stupid traditions that have been holding it back for generations.

 

[JAS 39 Gripen]

I'm honestly shocked at how many people tune into Overwatch, it blows my mind that ESPN picked it up. I don't understand the fascination with watching people play video games, but whatever.

I can agree with some esports, they're kinda hard to follow if you don't play them yourself - but isnt' that the case with traditional sports too? I know people that are lost at hockey game, dunno what the rules are, whom find it hard to follow the puck etc.

Why are we watching pros playing a sport, when we could just....do it by ourselves? Isn't it b/c they're much better than us? If so, isn't that the case with "video games" too?...think about that

 

[Hasa92]

I do wish that hockey would be more popular, not neccessarily inside the US where it already has a decent foothold but that more countries would take it more seroously.

Hockey is an amazing sport and honestly I feel that other people are missing out.

 

[byrath]

As long as it is not in any danger of going out of business, which it is not, I honestly could not care any less.

All of my team's games are on TV locally, and I have NHL Network. The NHL not being on PTI or Sports Center doesn't affect me in the slightest. The fact that McDavid makes as much as the 8th man on the Timberwolves does not affect me in the slightest.

Yeah, the only thing that might improve with more popularity is better TV coverage on the weekends. NBC/NBCSN seems to think its its a waste of time to show games when football is on, and even when football season ends we get a noon game on Sunday every couple weeks. Home team coverage is complete and weekday coverage is good.
I'm generally happy with every Blues game on TV, plus every playoff game. Not having co-workers approach me with awkward hockey talk is a bonus to low popularity.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Yeah, the only thing that might improve with more popularity is better TV coverage on the weekends. NBC/NBCSN seems to think its its a waste of time to show games when football is on, and even when football season ends we get a noon game on Sunday every couple weeks. Home team coverage is complete and weekday coverage is good.
I'm generally happy with every Blues game on TV, plus every playoff game. Not having co-workers approach me with awkward hockey talk is a bonus to low popularity.

They're probably right about that.

 

[HabsDood]

You do realize that the Whalers and Nordiques were there to make money too, right? As were all the teams that existed before and after them. Money didn't suddenly become important in the 90s.

Sure, like Arizona is making money.. We give them money

 

[IslesNorway]

Unlike baseball, basketball and soccer, hockey requires a lot of equipment to play (and subsequent cost) and you'll need a frozen surface on which to play (not readily available most places). It will not catch kids' fancies like most other sports, except in Canada where it is No.1

 

[Chaels Arms]

Hockey's lack of popularity has almost nothing to do with the on-ice product. It's kind of funny seeing people in here pretend like watching a hockey game on TV is something that takes skill to do. While that might be a nice ego boost for all of us here on HFBoards, it's not really true.

Hockey's on-ice product is better than every other sport with the exception of possibly the NFL at the moment. Baseball is horrible and is constantly looking for new ways to speed up their game and deal with a populace with a fast decreasing attention span. Basketball is filled with star players making a bazillion dollars that don't even want to play games until the playoffs. Think about how mind boggling that is.

The problem is that nobody other than hockey fans knows who these guys are. Everybody in the US knows Tom Brady and Lebron James. Nobody knows who Connor McDavid is.

 

[tuozzi]

Nope, it's just fine the way it is. If hockey gets too popular in the US, they'll dominate international games à la basketball.

...doesn't really matter though until we get NHL players back in the Olympics.

 

[fishsandwichpatrol]

I don't care how popular the NBA is, I refuse to believe that most people wanted to listen to that crap everyday during the NBA/NHL playoffs, ask Portland Trail Blazers or Toronto Raptors fans if they cared about the latest LeBron gossip this past spring, chances are good most of them didn't care.

Man, you say this, and I would be inclined to agree, but people ACTUALLY do care about that crap for some reason, so many people I know say the NBA offseason is the best part of the year, it's so bizarre and I don't understand it. I don't mind a good storyline but it's weird how people focus on stuff that's not watching the actual game.

Personally, I like where hockey is. I don't care for a flood of casuals that will inevitably change the game so the NHL can get more of their money.

 

[Kamina]

I wish it was more affordable, yeah.

 

[Fataldogg]

Hockey is and always will be King in Canada so it doesn't make much difference to me what it's status is in the States.

I do wish it was on another network than NBC for national games. Don't think they do a particularly good job of showcasing the sport. It's a great game, the people who know that are fans for life. I do wonder how the NHL plans to reach some of the younger generation though, there's just so many more options for entertainment these days. The NHL in general struggles to attract new fans and doesn't really treat the ones it does have very well either. Not participating in the Olympics is just a terrible decision for the sport of Hockey.

I agree 100% with the statement on the Olympics. Sidney Crosby became the mega star he is in Canada with his "golden goal" on Team Canada. Everybody in Canada and the USA was watching game. Had around 30 million viewers.

A new generational talent comes in like McDavid, and even if he wins the Cup, will never have the marketability of Crosby, because McDavid will never get to play on the biggest stage in the world [sorry NHL but no one cares about the World Cup].

Not having the Olympics limits promoting their biggest stars.

 

[Spirits]

I do wish it was bigger overall. I’m a fan of all sports, but hockey’s my favorite professional sport. It’s much easier to have a random conversation with a friend/acquaintance about the other sports than hockey, and I wish that wasn’t the case. (I live in Chicago, but am not a Hawks fan. Their recent fall isn’t helping, but even if they were good, I think it’d be tough to talk about what’s happening in the NHL league-wide with people compared to NFL/NBA/college football.)

With that said, it’s certainly not “small” and I’m thankful it’s reasonably easy to find coverage/content if you want to.

I grew up in Chicago in the 90s, no one is a Blackhawks fan. Chicago and Pittsburgh are the 2 worst bandwagon sports towns in existence. Living in Chicago from 1990-1995 (8-13 years old) I saw one Blackhawks beanie/shirt/hat/jacket. One.

 

[HisIceness]

Man, you say this, and I would be inclined to agree, but people ACTUALLY do care about that crap for some reason, so many people I know say the NBA offseason is the best part of the year, it's so bizarre and I don't understand it. I don't mind a good storyline but it's weird how people focus on stuff that's not watching the actual game.

Personally, I like where hockey is. I don't care for a flood of casuals that will inevitably change the game so the NHL can get more of their money.

Even my friends who are big NBA junkies thought that was too much, and frankly it got to the point where they (the media) were being sympathetic to the Lakers drama. But I guess LeBron makes them big money, and money talks.

 

[HugoSimon]

Hockey is my favorite sport, but I also watch the other major sports (Football, Basketball, Baseball, Soccer). One of the biggest barriers to hockey rising in popularity is the simple fact that it is so much more difficult to play for the average kid/person.

First of all, you need to have a rink near you. In the north this isn't as big of an issue, but in large portions of the US, it's not easy to find a rink right in your neighborhood. Then factor in things like the cost of equipment, having less competition/leagues to play in, much more travel if you do play in a league. It all adds up like crazy.

Then compare it to the other major sports. For football and soccer, you just need a ball and a field of grass, that's it. Sure there are some extra equipment costs if you play in a league, but it's not as expensive as hockey and there is much better infrastructure for those leagues. Basketball is pretty easy to play as well, and there are tons of basketball courts in all parts of the country.

Ultimately, I think people continue watching and consuming content of the sports they played as kids. Some really big sports fanatics will find their way to hockey, but it has a much bigger barrier of entry relative to the other sports which limits the exposure people get to it.

At the end of the day I think hockey is fine though and will be fine. It might not become a global worldwide phenomenon, but there's nothing wrong with that.

I think this highlights some key issues.

While anyone can throw a baseball around it is dull as dirt. It is a sport reliant on a coordination of skill sets and how those advanced skills interact. People have fond memories of playing it as kids because they dream of being those skilled players. The appreciation of skill wasn't a result of loving the game the love of skill is the reason the game exists.

Football has a magical branding. A very limited schedule, very strategic moments where one has to concentrate with natural interludes where people can relax. The way the league is structured, the rosebowl and other traditions etc are all perfect elements. Point is playing the game isn't a factor in liking it. The game sells itself on the total package and I think it is entirely independent of people playing it.

Soccer is a juggernaut and you're all kidding yourselves if you don't think it is the worlds 1st sport. Its lack of success in the states is entirely independent of the fact that so many people play it. The issue for the sport has always been the lack of an American television product and not much else. This is largely a product of FIFAs obsession with rules that make the game harder to sell(45 minute continuous periods/no ref calls/no lines or player rotations).

Basketball for me is a complete puzzle. I get that it was fun to play in high school gym class in fact in many ways it was my favorite sport. However I have less than zero interest in watching someone else play it. It lacks that element of being beyond my frame of reference. It is just ordinary I get that the pros are taller and faster and stronger etc. But they dynamic of the game doesn't seem to change from amateur to pro.

When I'm watching pro sports I want to see things beyond what I can do in a gym class.

Football has a very intense structure where every pass of the ball matters.

Baseball has that orchestration of skill that will always have a special niche.

Soccer has simplicity and the momentum of being such a dominate sport globally.

Basketball to me is only popular because it is so easy to play and so easy to follow. I'm not inclined to believe that it has any depth in their fan bases. It benefits from the fact that you can follow so little of the sport and still enjoy it.

Hockey needs to sell itself on being something beyond the reach of a regular person. You don't need kids playing the game to appreciate the game. The "walking on water" aspect of the game is part of the appeal. I think the problem isn't a lack of rinks, its the fact that so many Americans have never put on a pair of skates. I'm a strong believer that figure skates/whatever is a far better precursor to liking hockey than trying to buy into "the program". If skating is seen as an impressive athletic activity hockey is just the natural follow through.

 

[HugoSimon]

It would be a shame if hockey stopped being overwhelmingly white? WTF is wrong with you?

That not what he meant.

Hockey has a uniquely European heritage. It isn't just the fact that so much talent and history comes from Europe. The "European" French Canadians have a massive influence on the heritage of the game, not to mention the "British" energy of the game in certain parts of Canada. On top of that the games is tremendously i popular in areas of the US where European immigration was relatively recent and visible. Hockey is the only game where names like Smith, Jones, Jackson, O'neil, etc are rare.

Bringing this back to the topic. I think this is one of the biggest failures of the NHL. They keep trying to push the game as if it fits in as an all American game(something anglo Canadians wish it was). If Russia, French Canada, Czechia, Sweden etc aren't mentioned multiple times in a game the league is doing something wrong. The allure of the game needs to be branded as this exotic foreign sport on a familiar playing surface(ice).

 

[xigon]

I have a crazy idea that might generate more interest in hockey.



Mighty Ducks 4...

get Jack Hughes to play the leading role and Keanu to act the role of his coach.

profit $$

and then get selena gomez to play as Jack hughes's love interest. He kind of looks like bieber so that will spice things up.

 

[ChaosLord]

The thing is, having grown up in the US and having watched all 4 sports during that time, I can't understand why hockey isn't MORE popular. Hockey lords it over baseball and basketball (NBA) easily, those two sports are mind numbingly dull. The NFL, well I can see the appeal there, but the NFL is over-violent and the damage it inflicts on its players over time is going to be an issue that will dog that league for some time. Hockey by contrast has just enough physicality to a make it a "man's game" without it being over the top like the NFL.

But I grew up in the Northeast, where hockey is loved and respected. The problem is trying to sell it in the South, where college football reigns supreme, and on the West Coast, where basketball is king.

I think it is making inroads though, slowly. Cup wins by the previously Cup-less Washington and St Louis have brought the sport a long way.

 

[xigon]

I think what's a bit overlooked is the superficial aspect of being a sports fan. A lot of sports fans are not true fans. They "shill" a sport/sports because they think it's cool to do so and to try and fit in. Many don't really think of hockey as a "cool" sport so a higher proportion of hockey fans are actual fans compared to other sports who just have more shills. So if you want hockey to be more popular, you're really just asking for it to add more casual fans, which I don't think is bad or anything. It just isn't needed.